Boning for flexible materials



.Aug. 28, 1928.

- M vo HALLE BONING FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIALS Filed Nov. 16, 1926 PatentedAug; 28, 192.

PATENT OFFICE- MILLARLD VON HALLE, OF PALISADES PARK, NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNOR TO THE STAND- ARD CORSET COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, 12'. Y., ACORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

BOEING FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIALS.

Application filed November 16, 1926v Serial No. 148 625.-

This invention relates to a boning or reinforcement for flexiblematerial andis particularly applicable to garments, such as corsets,girdles, abdominal and surgical belts, and the like.

It has heretofore been the custom to effect boning of such garments bymeans of narrow stripsot material, such for instance as whalebone,placed vertically or diagonally in or across the garment. This method ofboning has many disadvantages, as, for instance, the ends of thesereinforcing strips quickly wear or cut through the material and have atendency to dig into the body of the wearer; and, if these strips arenot possessed of sufficient resilience to come back to normal positionin response to the movements of the wearer of the garment, the shape ofthe garment becomes distorted or the strips break causing muchdiscomfort to the wearer, while, if possessed of sufficient resilienceto react from the bending caused by the movements of the wearer, theyare very likely not to have suflicient rigidity to meet many of therequirements of such garments.

The invention of thisapplication obviates these disadvantages byproviding boning or reinforcement that is flexable. adaptable anddurable and capable of providing a greater degree ant distribution ofstrength and pressure Where these are needed thanare the method andmeans now in general use. These results are attained by the use of aplurality of plates or disks of material of considerably greaterrigidity than the material to be reinforced, flexibility being obtainedby the arrangement of these disks or plates in the garment.

The invention is herein disclosed in a preferred and concrete form,applied to a body support. in the following drawings in which Fig. 1 isa fragmentary view in side elevation of an abdominal belt showing theplates applied to the garment in a single vertical row; v

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of these plates removed from the garment; e

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, taken at the line 3. 3 of Fig. 1, ofone of the plates when applied to the garment; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing plates or disks in staggeredinforced is made as usual of a double layer of flexible material 6.

In the embodiment of the invention here disclosed, the plates are in theform of thin fiat disks 7 preferably ofrigid material such as a finegrade of magnetized steel which is strong and admits of the disks beingmade very thin without impairment. of their strength and therefore doesnot increase materially either the weight or bulk of the garment. v Asshown in Fig. 1, the disks 7 are arranged ina' vertical row in spacedfixed rela tion to each other between the layers of flexible material 6;and each of the disks 7 is provided with a central aperture 8 for thereception of an eyelet 9 that also passes through correspondingapertures 10, in the adjacent layers of flexible material 6, thatregister with the central aperture 8 of the disk. The edges of apertures10 in the flexible material 6 are engaged by the flanges of the eyelet 9when it is compressed into fastening position after it has passedsimultaneously through the aperture 8 of the disk and the apertures 10of the adjacent layers of flexible material and thus secures the disksto the flexible material. The layers of flexible material 6 are thenstitched together adjacent to and circumferentially of each disk 7 toconfine the disks and hold them in fixed relation to each other.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modification of the arrangement of disks 7 therebeing two vertical rows of these disks, the disks being in fixedstaggered relation to each other to prevent bends and breaks alonghorizontal lines as might occur if the adjacent disks of the two rowswere in opposed relation to each other.

It is obvious that numerous other arrangements of the disks in respectto their relation to each other may be made to meet particularrequirements; and that any suitable means may be employed to secure theplates or disks to the flexible material and to confine them in fixedposition between the layers of flexible material.

It will also be obvious that this boning and reinforcing is very muchmore adaptable to various conditions than are those heretofore usedsince it admits of greater distribution of pressure, greater strength atparticular and desired points and greater flexibility and comfort. Withthis invention, the strains radiate in all directions from the center ofthe plates or disks thus distributing the pressure over a greater areawhen desired; and a very much stronger garment is produced where thestitching confining the plate extends around in all directions so thatthe strains and pulls upon it are neutralized because they lieindifferent planes than is the case of stitching alongthe sides ofstrips in which case the strains and pulls are all in the same plane andhence have a tendency to weaken. Therefore, themore boning, the morestitching andgreater weakening etl'ect.

T his invention admits of greater variations in the degree offlexibility or rigidity than has heretofore been possible as they may beachieved by variations in the size of the platesor disks, theirarrangement; and their distance from each other; (2) of greater comfortbecause there are no sharp and protruding ends; (3) and of greaterdurability because the plates will not cut through the fabric nor breakunder stress, there being a greater distribution of strain than ispossible 40 with a narrow strip.

The term garment as used in this specification and the accompanyingclaims is intended to mean any article of wearing apparel whether it befor medical or surgical purposes, 1 such as abdominal belts and otherbody supports, or an article to be worn as an outer garment or to beworn as an under garment.

I claim:

1. A boning for a garment made of layers i of flexible materialcomprising: a plurality of plates oi greater rigidity than andinterposed in spaced relation between the layers of flexible material toresist strains at a plurality of points on said flexible material whenunder tension, means for securing each plate and the adjacent portionsof the layers of flexible material together at the center of each plateto sustain the strains on said flexible material at that point, andmeans adj acent and surrounding the outer edge of each plateindividually 'for confining it within a given area to distribute thestrains on the flexible material and thereby to relieve the strain atthe center of the plate.

2. As a new article of manufacture: super posed layers of flexiblematerial, a disk interposed bet-ween the layers of material, and

means securing the disk and layers together comprising: an eyelet at thecenter of the disk clamping the flexible material to the disk andstitching passing through the layers of flexible material andcircumferentially surrounding the disk.

Signed in the borough of Manhattan, city, county and State of New York,this 10th day of November, 1926'.

MILLARD VON HALLE.

